Strange Spirits
by Miss Ink
Summary: While waiting on the beach for her long lost love, Yuna encounters a stranger with the power to summon. How can the stranger call upon aeons if they were all slain in the battle against Sin? Where is he from? What is his name?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own final fantasy. I own the story I made up on my own.**

Strange Spirits

Chapter 1

The sky looked so beautiful and the sea was calm and tranquil but all of those things didn't have any sort of impression on Yuna what so every that day. She just stood at the dock and began to whistle just like she had been for the last month now. Her whistle could be heard far and wide. She got really good at whistling loudly that everyone came to except what she was doing as though it was a regular thing now. Lulu would often times stand and wait with her on the dock over looking the sun setting over the ocean's waves but today Yuna was by herself.

"He'll be back. He said he would if I just whistled. Right?" she said to herself.

The stars had now started to appear in the clear night sky and Yuna knew it was time to pack it in for the day. She sighed, blows towards the sea one last time and put on a brave smile on her face just like how he taught her. She took a few steps toward her hometown but suddenly the calm air began to bellow a raging wind that caused the seas to white cape in the distance. Then, just as the sun rolled down in the distance on the horizon, a huge creature emerged from the water's depths and roared out a booming cry.

Yuna had found herself over shadowed under the creature's huge shadow. The watery creature vibrated its fins as it growled menacing at Yuna and for a moment the look of terror was on her face, but she regained her focus and took hold of her summor's staff and twirled it in her hand and got herself ready for a fight. She held her staff ready and cast holly on the sea creature, but it wasn't enough to defeat it. The bright blast of shimmering-white light just dissolved upon the hide of the monstrous beast.

Yuna knew what steps she had to take and began to raise her staff high in the air and was about to call upon a summoning, but nothing happened.

She was startled, "Oh no, I forgot" all the aeons were dead since the battled with Sin. The sea creator let out a growl and thrashed it's tail onto the dock and smashed it into bits, but Yuna was able to get up and make a run for it up the beach. Pieces of wood flew in every direction and sounded like an exploding bomb. Yuna saw the creature's head come in closer within range and aimed for a lethal blow. Yuna cast protection on herself and ready herself for the blow, but it never came.

Yuna had raised her arm to shield her eyes from the in coming attack, but when nothing happened she saw a blinding light. She squinted and saw the outline of someone holding back the creature. That person had a sword and suddenly a zing of hope began to form in her heart.

Could it be? Could that someone she'd been hoping was really here? Had he come to rescue her just in the nick of time? Whoever the stranger was she couldn't make them out because the light from the sword was too bright and that stranger was wearing a hood over their head. Who that person in the robe?

Yuna got to her feet and then noticed that time seemed to have stopped. The sea creature hadn't made a sound and was transfixed in place, as was everything else. The piece of wood from the dock and bits of sand were suspended in midair. She could see them clearly and reached out a hand to touch one of the shells that was kicked up in the attack, but suddenly noticed a feather. Yuna tilted her head in a confused and puzzled way and grabbed it in the palm of her hand. The feather was small and white. She looked around and noticed that there were small white feathers everywhere.

Then, without any warning, time slowly began to play again and she saw the bits of rumble and the thousands of free-floating feathers began to move. It looked like it was snowing. Before she knew it time was right again and the sea creature collided with a blue force field produced by a protection spell and roared in rage. The swordsman was thrown and was pushed back into Yuna and both landed in the sand. Yuna gasped with a start, but was helped up by the stranger and she got a glance at his eyes. His eyes were blue-gray and held an intense focus that she felt a bit overwhelmed by his stare.

"Are you all right?"

"Y-Yes…"

"Good. Stay close."

He took hold of Yuna's forearm and pushed her behind him and stood ready for the next attack with his sword at hand. The beast seemed to have sensed this and began to prepare to send out a blast of energy. Its body began to vibrate and it held its head downward.

Suddenly, the time had come, and the attack was set. A large burst of red energy came hurtling out from the sea creature's mouth and was making its way straight at them.

The intensity of the blast had been so strong that everything was blinded in an overwhelming flash of red light.

She feared that they were hit, but when the glow subsided. She saw that they were both protected in a shell spell that was cast by hooded stranger. The strange swordsman then placed his left hand over his face and slowly extended his arm outwards towards the beast with his weapon held relaxed at his side. When his palm finally cast over the creature. Yuna saw the spirits begin to swirl and gather as if she had performed a summor's dance. She was surprised and saw the spirits surround the man until he seemed to glow and then a roar out of nowhere echoed throughout the entire beach and a bright burst of flames littered the sands.

Yuna was amazed to see a huge lion appear from the golden flames and then spread out a pair of huge burning wings. The whole animal was made of burning fire that rippled in the wind. She realized with a gasp that this was a summoning. The creature of fire was an aeon. She saw the great lion rise up on its hind legs and rip with its claws comic energy and sent it crashing into the sea creature's path and broke into a glowing white blast. The sea creature roared a cry of defeat and toppled over and faded into spirits.

Yuna stared at the stranger and wondered how he was able to call upon an aeon when all of them were dead. She had never seen this aeon before in her life. She saw the fire creature fade as the stranger turned to face her.

"Thank you for rescuing me."

"…Whatever…"

"What was the name of that summoning?"

"Griever."

"…Oh, I see. What's your name?"

"Squall."

"My name is Yuna."

The strange swordsman pulled down the hood that was covering his face and revealed his intense gray-blue eyes and long brown hair that fell loose around his face and tied freely down his back and swayed in the sea breeze. He had a scar on his forehead and wore a dark blue uniform under his long cloak. She saw he had a blue blade at his side that glowed as if it were made of moonlight.

He had such a quiet manner about him that Yuna decided to give him a smile to add to her gratitude. She proceeded to give him a traditional blitz blow and he hesitantly gave her a garden salute, both of which gave a confusing first impression.

After the incident on the beach saw over, Yuna took Squall to her hometown and introduce him to Lulu and Wakka. Eventually everyone made themselves at home and both thanked the stranger for saving Yuna.

Lulu looked at the stranger and asked, "so, where are you from?"

Squall kept his gaze at the burning fire in front of them and said, "I don't remember."

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I re-spaced the story to make it easier to read. I even changed more mis-spelled words. I write this thing a long time ago and I can't really remember the plot. I will try to give it another go since I got a review, but more reviews will help motivate me.

Please, review. Thanks.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Wakka rubbed the back of his head in confusion, but said, "What do you mean you don't remember? Did you hit your head or something?"

Squall didn't answer. He sighed and leaned back in his seat. He gazed up out at the stars through the open cooking port over the roof.

After sometime in silence, Lulu poked the fire and said, "You know you remind me a lot of Auron. He was always keeping what he thought to himself. It was really hard to know what he wanted or what he would do next."

Yuna shouted, "Lulu! Squall, I'm sorry, we just want to help you. What do you remember?"

"I don't know."

"Well, from what you did on the beach, I guess you're a summoner. I used to be a summoner too."

Wakka shook his head disapprovingly, "No, that don't add up. The man can summon, but also wields a blade? I never heard of no summoner that can use a weapon _and_ cast spells. Where'd he learn all that?"

"Garden…"

"Garden? What's that?"

"I can't remember, but I think I was at a place called Garden. The seeds of garden."

Lulu idly picked up one of her voodoo dolls and said, "Garden…I never heard of a place called that, but it's a start."

"Hum. Sounds like a bunch of nonsense to me. Look at this guy. He's got on a uniform and fancy gear. He's got to come from somewhere and it ain't no greenhouse."

Then, suddenly there was a strange rumble. All around they heard the screams of the villages calling out into the night. Quickly, they ran out of the house to see what was happening and it was then that they saw Sin emerge from the sea. Sin sprang out form the watery depths like a whale and roared out as it silhouetted the rising moon.

Yuna and her friends took in the monstrous aeon in the night sky. The appearance of Sin terrified Yuna to her core and she began to shake.

Yuna breathless said, "It's Sin…" and then fainted. Luckily she was standing near Squall and he gathered her close to support her or else she'd fall. Lulu and Wakka helped Squall support her and took her back inside the house.

Lulu turned to Wakka and said, "Let's have her rest."

"But what about Sin? We can't just let that monster go around killing people all over Spira again. We got to stop it."

Squall gave the creature one last look before entering the house and said, "We shouldn't rush into anything without learning all we can about the enemy. We need to be prepared."

Wakka gave Squall an angry glare, "And who died and made you king?"

Lulu said, "That's enough Wakka. We can't do anything while Yuna unconscious. I suggest we get some sleep and take on this problem in the morning. Squall's right, we have to be prepared. We don't have aeons to help us like we did before."

Wakka: "Yeah, I guess you're right. We ought to get the team back together, but I'm tell you, I ain't going to get much sleep."

0000000000000000000000000000

Unknown to everyone, Sin began to stir. It opened it large mouth and suddenly spit out something weird into the sea. The object was propelled into the air and landed with a splash and slowly began to sink, but then it moved. The object started to swim and it broke the surface of the water with a gasp—it was Titus.

He quickly began to move through the water till he finally hauled himself on a sandy shore. He crawled up the coast till his body was properly beached and laid himself down to rest. Exhausted, he panted, "I'm home."

0000000000000000000000000000

Yuna thrashed around on her bed in a nightmare. She tossed her head back and forth and mumbled, "Titus…Titus…" over and over again in her restless sleep. Her whimpering woke Squall and he walked into her room and gentle placed his hand over her shoulder and tried to shake her wake from her dream. However, when his hand touched her shoulder she sprang up right in her bed and shouted, "No!"

"It's alright, Yuna. You were just having a bad dream."

"Oh, Squall. I'm so sorry I woke you."

"It's alright. Do you want to talk about it? I heard it helps if you talk about a bad dream."

"Uh, no, I'm ok. Thank you."

"Alright, I'll go and let you rest."

Suddenly, Yuna grabbed onto his arm, but kept her eyes down cast. She quietly said, "No, please stay."

Squall reluctantly submitted to Yuna's plea and quietly sat down on a chair next to her bed. He sat uncomfortably straight and crossed his arms over his chest and slowly closed his eyes, but the former summoner wondered if he really was asleep and leaned over to pear at his handsomely scared face in the twilight.

While keeping his eyes closed, the scared man whispered, "…Yuna, go to sleep."

Yuna jumped away and sank down into her covers and pressed her hand over her mouth in embarrassment. She wondered why she was behaving like a scared little girl, but for some reason she felt really safe when Squall was near. There was something about him that made him seem like a natural leader, something grown up, and something that made her know she could relay on him. In a way, he remembered her of Kimari because he was quiet and steady, but she knew he was different. He didn't openly say what was in his heart like her old friend. He was guarded. He seemed afraid to say what was on his mind, but she sensed he had a good heart. She knew because she saw it in the aeon. There was something noble about it, something she just couldn't describe.

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I'm not really sure if I want to keep thing story going because I made it up a really long time ago and I can't really remember the plot. I do remember why I wrote it and that's because crossover FF stories are few and sort of flop. Plus, I wanted to write in game play moves because come on! as a gamer you play hours and hours solely on building up your game that you have to write a fanfic with some actual moves in it to make it feel authentic.

I might up-date from time to time, but ultimately I leave it up to you, my reviewers. Please, review and let me know if it's any good. Thanks.


	3. Chapter 3

Strange Spirits

Chapter 3

Yuna woke and saw that Squall had left her room. She felt kind of bad having him stay and keep her company, but there was something about him that reminder her of Tibus. He didn't seem like he belonged to this world, but unlike Tibus he was quiet and strong. He seemed like he was used to being alone. And it made her feel sad because no one should be left alone.

Suddenly, Lulu appeared by Yuna's bedroom door and, "Well, you certainly seemed attached to our new stranger. What's with you and strangers anyway?"

"What? I don't know what you're talking about."

Lulu laughed softly into her sleeve. She said, "Right, and that wasn't Squall I saw leaving your room earlier this morning. You're lucky it wasn't Wakka who came to check on you."

Yuna blushed and threw her blanket over her head. She could just die from embarrassment. She didn't know why she did what she'd done, but she just knew she could trust him.

"I don't know what's wrong with me, Lulu. I—I already have somebody special."

Tenderly, the older beauty sat on her bed and pulled back the sheet. She smiled and said, "It's ok to have a little crush, Yuna. Just don't do anything you'd regret."

Obediently, Yuna nodded her head. "Yeah, I know but I can't forget about him."

Lulu then patted her friend's head and rose to leave the room. "Ok, but you'd better get ready. We have to be prepared for a the worst when it comes to Sin."

"Right. I'll be out in a minute."

A second later, Yuna found herself alone in her room with her thoughts and contemplated again about what she needed to do. She had to stay focused. She had to think about defeating Sin again. It just didn't make any sense why Sin would reappear in the world when there were no aeons anymore—but that wasn't true anymore was it? Squall had an aeon. He called it Griever. There was something about that winged lion made of fire that bothered her like where did it come from? And was Squall really a summoner too?

-0-0-0-

Once Yuna got outside she saw that Wakka, Squall and Lulu were waiting for hear in the early pre-dawn. It looked like they were set on an early start and that was fine with her. The sooner they dealt with Sin and defeated it the better.

Yuna gave her team a nod and said, "Right, ok lets get going."

She then gave her friends an encouraging smile and began to march out towards the path out of village. She figure the best thing they ought to do is head out where they had last seen Sin and ask what other people had seen to gather clues.

"Wakka, where do you think Sin landed?"

The wild-haired man crossed his arms over his chest and hummed. "Hmmmm…well, I think it landed somewhere near Luca, but I could be wrong. It was pretty dark last night and Sin was flying."

However, then Squall interrupted and said, "It doesn't matter. If we head towards the general direct then we're bound to locate it eventually and if this thing is dangerous than its important that we get there fast."

"Oh, so you're a Mr. Know-it-all now, huh?" replied Wakka.

Squall raised his head and gave Wakka a hard look that made him feel nervous. The scarred stranger seemed pretty intimated when he glared like that, but Wakka was determined not to fold. Though, after a long pause Squall finally relented and turned his head and sighed.

"Whatever. Do what you want. I'll just tag along."

The swordsmen then turned and began to head up the path alone. It wasn't his problem if the three of them weren't professionals. He figured that since this Sin-creature had appeared around the same time he did then, it was probably connected somehow. It couldn't be a coincidence.

"Yeah!" shouted Wakka. "You don't know where you're going. Don't be like that Squall."

The swordsmen didn't turn around. He kept walking and in a rush Yuna ran to catch up with him and quickly matched his pace while the others followed behind. Eventually, the two fell into a companionable silence as they walked through the tall tropical trees and rolling hills.

Yet, as time pass Yuna grew anxious and said, "Oh, uh thank you…for staying with me last night. I'm normally not so scared."

Cautiously, she looked up at Squall and gave him a bright smile though in response the scarred-man frowned. Yuna giggled at his odd reaction.

"What? Is there something on my face?"

Squall turned to look away from her and sighed in exasperation. He answered her while looking ahead and replied, "No. It's just weird that you keep smiling when you're not happy."

Stunned, Yuna paused but then moved to match his stride again and said, "That's because a good friend of mine told me that if I smile than I won't feel sad anymore."

In response, the swordsmen didn't say anything for a long stretch of road and Yuna got the impression he was thinking very deeply—or maybe he really didn't care. Though, out of nowhere he said, "That's…dumb."

"What?"

"That's dumb. You should be honest in how you really feel. You shouldn't pretend to be something you're not or you'll never really smile." Then, Squall stopped and stood rooted in place and looked down at Yuna unexpectedly and said, "You should only smile because your happy, Yuna. Don't smile for anybody else."

Yuna was surprised at how sincere Squall was being that she couldn't help but blush. Though, before she could utter a word he quickly turned and began to continue his walk down the path. Startled, she watched him go and wondered to herself how anybody could behave so serious and grumpy yet be so touching at the same time. It was like Squall was being romantic and didn't even realize.

"Hey, Yuna. Are you alright?" asked Lulu from behind.

"Oh…yes. I'm fine."

Wakka frowned and said, "Huh, you don't look fine. Did that big shot say something to upset you?"

Yuna grinned and replied, "No, actually he gave me some good advice."

-0-0-0-

TBC

-0-0-0-

Author's Note: Yes, well I'm back. I got some good feedback and I thought, why not. I'll give it another try. I think I have something in the shape of a plot that I outlined, but I'm kind of a Squall/Rinoa fan so I don't know which way the romance will go with this. Though it feels like a Squall/Yuna fic for now. Yet, I would like to add that my main story right now is my Star Wars fic "Match Maker" so I don't know how often I'm be able to update. I typically finish a story in a month, but who knows. Plus, I actually dug up my old cheat guide in order to get the name of the names right. (I can't believe I've been spelling Wakka's name wrong all this time)

Also to my reviewer goidan: Not to be mean or anything, but your spelling makes it hard for me to understand you. Though, thanks for liking my work. I appreciate it.

Please review. Thank you.


	4. Chapter 4

Strange Spirits

Chapter 4

"Have you equipped your Sphere Grid?" asked Wakka. "You know it good to learn new things."

Puzzled, Squall stopped walking down the road and said, "Sphere Grid? What's that?"

Shocked, Wakka exclaimed, "What? You mean you don't know? It's like the most basic thing a guardian should know!"

The scarred-warrior just dismissively sighed. "Whatever. I don't have time for spheres. I just level up in my abilities automatically. What matters most is if you have the right equipment and junction. You could spend hours doing the right junction combination. Obtaining spells are important too."

"Spells?" said Lulu. "I didn't know you knew how to cast magic as well. Normally that isn't a skill for a warrior."

In response, Squall shrugged and turned to face the path again and answered, "Maybe not, but I do alright. Now, lets get going."

After a while, the group encountered several fiends, but with a quick swing of a sword, some ball bashing and spell casting they were all soon defeated. Yet, the sighting of fiends troubled Wakka and Lulu because it was a sure sign of Sin's return.

Anxiously, the dark witch said, "The fiends have come back again. This is bad."

"Yeah," said Wakka. "It's like back before we defeated Sin."

Though unexpected Squall added, "I don't see what the problem is. There have been monsters falling from the moon for years. You can draw the best magic from a good battle."

Confused, all three companions stare at Squall completely vexed. They had no idea what he was talking about. Monsters from the moon? That didn't make any sense.

"But fiends don't come from the moon. They come from Sin," said Yuna. "Everyone on Spira knows that."

"I guess I forgot," said Squall.

Then, without another word the group made their way towards the S.S. Liki and boarded the ship for the main lands. The waters and the waves somehow calmed Squall. It seemed sort of similar like something he experienced before. He vaguely remembered being on the deck of a ship in the past. The waters were tranquil and the sun was at his face. He was on some kind of mission going somewhere—somewhere he couldn't remember.

Squall then overheard Wakka tell Yuna that the ship was skipping Kilika and was going straight to Luca. Pensively, the ball-player said, "I think getting things over and done with is the best thing for now."

Yuna replied, "Yeah, I guess your right. It just would have been great to see how much they've rebuild since Sin's last attack. Though, maybe we can meet up with Rikku at Luca. She said she's trying to learn a new battle technique called songtress."

Wakka shook his head. "I don't know. I just never figured singing could be used in battles. It seems kind of ridicules."

-0-0-0-

**Location: Luca**

When the team finally arrived at Luca Squall was amazed at the size of the city and the number of people that inhabited it. It made Besaid look so small compared to this place. Tentatively, he walked around the absorbed the colorful atmosphere and realized that nothing seemed familiar to him at all.

Though, oddly a crowd of people began to gather around Yuna and began to talk with her energetically. He listened in and heard them call her the Great Summoner and called Wakka and Lulu her Guardians. They learned from the city people that something called the Blitz Sphere had been converted into a stage and that singing had become a new big hit.

"What!" shouted Wakka. "That's so wrong! Blitz is way better than singing."

Lulu tried to calm him down and said, "The times are changing, Wakka. Just take it easy."

Irritated, he sighed and crossed his arms over his chest and replied, "Yeah, I guess."

However, Squall heard enough. He slowly began to walk away until Yuna catch his arm and asked, "Where are you going?"

"I want to get a look around. A place like this must have good equipment."

"I'll come too. Uh, Lulu? I think we should split up and look for Rikku. It will be easy to track down that way."

The dark witch nodded and dragged her friend away. She then called back to Yuna and said, "Meet us back here in an hour."

"Right!" shouted Yuna. She then decided to show Squall the shops. She couldn't help smiling and noticed that the scarred-swordsman really did think like real guardian. He was always thinking about how to get stronger. She admired his focus, but another side of her wondered if he knew how to have fun.

"Hey, Squall?"

"Hm?"

"Do you remember the things you used to do for fun?"

Confused, he frowned and narrowed his brow. "No…I don't remember much of anything."

Yuna sadly looked away. She thought that maybe it was a bad idea to bring up his memory. She didn't want to make him depressed. Absently, she stared at the weapons in the shop and together they looked at the items quietly until finally he paused.

"I'm not going to beat myself up at what I'm missing, Yuna. I think it's important to think about what I do have. I know I'll remember my past eventually, but it's the present that matter now."

She smiled brightly at his words. She agreed with Squall that the present was important and hoped that his memories would return too. He was just so mature that Yuna discovered that she wished she had that confidence. She wondered were he got it from. It was a shame that it was pointless in asking. He probably didn't remember.

"All right, I'm done here. Let's go look for your friend."

"Oh, right! Uh, I think Rikku might be at the new stage. I know that the Al Bhed are helping to install the new stage equipment, so she might hang around to talk to some friends."

"Whatever," replied the swordsman. "You can lead the way."

Yuna nodded and watched as Squall trail behind her like a guard.

-0-0-0-

TBC

-0-0-0-

Author's Note: Ok, I finally up dated. I'm bringing back Rikku and maybe some more surprises next chapter. I hope you like the game referrences. I feel like when I played that leveling up was all I really did.

Please review. Thank you.


	5. Chapter 5

Strange Spirits

Chapter 5

When Yuna and Squall finally made it to the stage they saw Rikku was already half way into a song and singing with a girl the former-summoner had never seen before. The other girl had short white hair and dressed in leather. She and Rikku were leaning back to back on stage with a bunch of flashing lights and singing very loudly in the empty stadium.

Yuna saw Big Brother cheering and dancing around while working the sound system. It looked exciting and lots of fun, but then she noticed that Squall seemed comfortable at all. He seemed distracted and lost in a memory.

However, her thoughts were interrupted when Rikku spotted her and jumped off the stage. She instantly wrapped her arms around her neck and squealed happily.

"Oh my god! Yuna! What are you doing here? Did you come to visit me?"

Yuna laughed and said, "Oh, Rikku. It's good to see you again, but actually no. Me and the others can to investigate a Sin sighting. Have you noticed anything strange lately?"

"What! Sin is back! No way! I thought we kicked Sin's ass."

The punk-spiked hair girl suddenly jumped off the stage too and said, "Hey, Rikku who's this?"

"No, this is my cousin, Yuna. This is Pain, she's my backup singer."

"Yeah, whatever. But, did I hear one of you talk about Sin?'

"Yup," replied the former-summoner. "I thought maybe Rikku could come and help me."

"Oh, yes!" she cheered.

However, Paine shook her head and said, "Yeah, but what about rehearsals? The contest is tomorrow night."

"Oh, man!" whined Rikku sadly. "That's right. We've been practicing like crazy for this. We can't just go. Oh, please Yunie! Give me one day and then I'm all yours. Please!"

Rikku then grabbed her cousin by the arms and began to shake her wildly to beg for permission. Though, unexpectedly Squall approached and said, "I don't know if we should waste our time getting distracted. Isn't this Sin monster serious business? Do you really have time to go off singing?"

The blond thief suddenly released Yuna and strode up to Squall closely and eyed him carefully. She didn't recognize him and he had a nasty scar across his forehead and he was wearing some funny outfit. He was wearing some kind of robe and he looked like a meanie.

"Hey! Singing is serious! And Yuna is going to help us, right?"

"What?" she cried. "Please, Rikku don't drag me into this, but I think we could spare you a day. I'm sure Wakka and Lulu would love to hear you sing."

Squall shook his head. "Whatever…do what you want."

The swordsman then turned around to exit the stadium. He figured if they were staying then he might as well make the most of it and gather some information. It was a long shot, but maybe someone would recognize him and fill in his missing memories. Yet, Yuna mistook his departure for anger and felt badly. She didn't want Squall to be upset. She knew he was very serious, but figured a day wouldn't hurt since they weren't sure about where Sin was hiding.

"Wow, Yunie! Wakka and Lulu are here too? It's like a reunion! I can't wait to see them."

However, the former-summoner wasn't listening. She decided to check on Squall and ran after him.

"Hey, Yunie!"

Rikku was about to run after them too, but Paine grabbed her arm and yanked her back unexpectedly. "Chill, Rikku. You still need to practice your lyrics."

"Ohhhh, but Yunie."

-0-0-0-

An hour later, Yuna looked all over the city and finally found Squall looking out over the water where she and Tidus once stood and whistled. She felt sad as she looked at the familiar place because it made her remember the man she once loved. She quietly approached the Squall as he stood by the trailing and gaze out to sea. He had a peaceful look on his otherwise serious face and he had his eyes closed as the wind gently swayed his cloak and hair.

She heard him drew in a deep breath and began to hum. Surprised, she tired to hear the melody and smiled at how tranquil he was being. Tentatively, she listened and tried to hum along with him, but like a frightened chocobo, he stopped and turned to face her awkwardly.

"Yuna…what are you doing here?"

She grinned and said, "I was looking for you. That was a nice song. Did you make it up?"

Squall flushed with embarrassment and replied, "No, it's—it's something I've heard before a long time ago. I think its called _Eyes on Me_."

Yuna paused and gaze out towards the sea. "_Eyes on Me_… I've never heard of a song like that before. It sounds kind of romantic."

"It's a song about a woman singing to the man she loves, but they might not see each other again or she fears its all been a dream."

Yuna was startled at the meaning behind the sweet melody. The former-summoner knew all too well what it was like to fall in love with a man who was like a dream. And without realizing, she lowered her head and felt her heart begin to sink. Tibus had been like her dream. He promised her that he would be back if she whistled. Then, with a sigh she looked out towards the horizon and whistled out to sea.

Squall frowned at the odd behavior and asked, "What are you doing?"

"I'm calling for somebody."

"I don't see anyone."

"We made a promise. If I whistle loud he'll come back."

"He? Who's he?"

Yuna stopped whistling and faced Squall with unshed tears shining in her eyes. She frowned bitterly and tried not to cry, but the swordsman reached out and touched her shoulder lightly to comfort her and said, "Yuna…I'm sorry."

She sniffled and met his gaze and muttered, "For what?"

"You've lost someone, right?"

Mutely, she nodded her head and brushed back the tears from her face, but Squall raised his hand and helped her by wiping them away with his gloved thumb over her cheek. Quietly, he let her catch her breath and said, "Yuna, I know that whoever he was he must have been important to you or you wouldn't be crying, but as long as you remember him he'll never be gone forever. He won't want you to be sad."

Yuna shook her head and lunged forward to give him a hug. She pressed her face into his cloak and finally wept into his embrace. Meanwhile, Squall wrapped his arms around her shoulders and back and began stroking the back of her head gently.

"Hey, it's ok. Everything is going to be ok, Yuna."

Yuna felt safe in scarred-warrior's embrace. Squall was kind, strong and comforting. He made her feel safe and she believed him when he said that everything would be ok. He was so mature and knew the right words to make her sorrows go away.

However, out of the blue appeared a man at the end of the stairs. Startled, Yuna gasped and couldn't believe what she was seeing. Dumbfounded, she saw that it was Tibus.

"No, it can't be."

Squall eased her away from his arms and faced the stranger critically. It appeared that Yuna knew him, but sword in his hand said that he wasn't friendly. The blade in his hand was made of a material he had never seen before. The design near the hilt looked like water and shimmered in the sunlight like the sea.

"Get away from her!"

Tibus then launched himself forward and leapt into the air and tried to slice his sword straight down to cut him, but in a flash Squall drew his gun-blade and blocked the blow skillfully. A burst of air and debris flew up from the ground at the impact at Squall's feet, but the scarred-soldier was unfazed. He swiftly ran his blade across Tibus' weapon and caused sparks to fly from the friction. He tried to cut him at his waist, but Tibus backed away at the last minute. However, Squall quickly attempted another attack with an upper cut blow, but realizing that it would miss he extended his left hand and cast aura.

Tibus moved to block the unknown spell with his sword, but was stunned to find that it wasn't directed at him. Instead, the scarred-soldier began to glow a yellow light and swiftly moved in to parry Tibus back with a furious combination of swings. Then, with a leap back he twirled his gun-blade and raised it high above his head and unleashed a pillar of light.

"Blasting zone!"

An enormous beam of power came crashing down at the blitz-player that he thought he was in for a world of hurt, but to his amazement Yuna tackled him to the ground and prevented him from being hit. Stupefied, he gazed at her in astonishment, as she nearly became toast along with him.

"Yuna! What are you doing!"

She looked up at him and smiled sweetly. "I was saving you, silly."

Tibus shook his head and scrabbled to right himself and helped Yuna off the ground and began to brush the dust off his clothing. He gave her a shy smile back and rubbed the back of his head nervously.

"Hey…"

"Hey."

The two were then about to embrace, but Squall instantly placed his gun-blade between them and nudged the former-guardian away.

"Hold it right there. Who are you? And why did you attack me?"

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TBC

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Please review. Thank you.


	6. Chapter 6

Strange Spirits

Chapter 6

Yuna stared at Squall in amazement. She didn't want him to start a fight again and moved to push his gun-blade down at his wrist. She then sincerely met his gaze and said, "Squall, this is Tibus. The one I just told you about."

Puzzled, the swordsman lowered his weapon and turned to look away. "Fine…whatever."

He then moved to walk away, but Yuna tried to stop him and called his name, "Squall, no don't go—"

However, it was too late. The scared-soldier left and began to walk away while leaving Yuna and Tibus alone. Yuna felt Tibus' eyes gazing at her from behind and turned to face him and drink him in for the first time since he left. She saw that he hadn't changed. He was the same man she loved and parted with since they defeated Sin. Though, oddly she noticed he was giving Squall's retreating form a glare before softening to a smile as he met her eyes.

"Hi, Yuna."

The former-summoner smiled, "Tibus…is it really you? Are you really here?"

"Yeah, I'm back."

The two then hugged in a tight embrace and at last he felt solid and real. It wasn't a dream or an illusion. He was really here. He was right here in her arms. Joyfully, Tibus pulled back and brushed back her hair.

"Yuna, I've missed you. I'm sorry I took so long to get back."

She instantly shook her head and replied, "No, it's ok. You're back, that's what's important."

"Yeah, but who was that guy? The cranky scar man."

Yuna giggled at Tibus' description and covered her mouth to stifle her laugh and said, "Oh, that was Squall. He's a new friend."

"A new friend, uh? Well, he doesn't seem that friendly."

The former-summoner frowned and said, "No, Squall's just serious. He's actually a good person. He's helping us look for Sin. I think the new Sin sighting might be connected to him somehow."

Shocked, Tibus said, "Sin! You mean that thing is back? I thought we took care of that already."

Yuna shook her head. "No, we saw it again. We're trying to find it, Lulu, Wakka and Squall. Rikku might help too, but she wants to finish some business in town first before we leave. She's in a singing competition here in Luca."

Please, Tibus crossed his arms over his chest and said, "Wow, it looks like almost everyone is back. I can't wait to see them again."

Yuna smiled and took his hand. "Yeah, lets go find the others. Then, you can tell us where you've been."

The former-summoner then began to drag Tibus through the streets in search of their friends. She was sure she'd be able to find Lulu and Wakka. They were sure to have missed Tibus too. Though, unknown to her Squall was watching from afar. The lone lion watched as the two navigated the streets and inwards he could shake feelings both happy and annoyed. On one hand he was happy for Yuna that her friend had come back, yet he was also annoyed since he didn't like him. Tibus wasn't what Squall expected. He was a fine swordsman, but something about him was off. Was he just jealous that Yuna and him were friends? And why did he leave her in the first place? It just didn't add up.

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When Squall returned to the party at the meeting place he saw that Tibus was surrounded by his friends and catching up. Everyone looked happy to see the former-guardian again. It was obvious that they missed him.

Rikku jumped up and down with joy and gave him a hug and exclaimed, "Oh my gosh! Tibus you're back! Where on Spira have you been?"

The blue-swordsman laughed and answered, "Jeez, I don't really know. One minute I was here and the next I just sort of faded away, but now I'm back."

Wakka threw his arm around his shoulders and said, "Yeah, but how'd you get here?"

"I swam. I woke up some where off shore and made my way to the city."

Lulu frowned and tilted her head. She hummed to herself thoughtfully and said, "Hmm, we'll that's an odd explanation, but then again you aren't exactly normal to begin with."

"Yeah, thanks Lulu. I've noticed that too, but what's this thing I hear about Sin coming back. I thought we made Sin into history. They're weren't any more aeons. Sin had nothing left to possess.

"That's impossible," he replied. "Yu Yevon is gone. There are no aeons for him to manipulate."

Anxiously, Yuna pressed her lips nervously and said, "Um, actually there is another aeon in Spira."

Surprised, Tibus turned to her and noticed Squall approaching them from up the road. He saw her fidget and say, "Squall has an aeon. He's a summoner, but it's an aeon I've never seen."

Tibus narrowed his brow and glanced towards the scared-soldier's direction and shouted, "Him! He's a summoner? He doesn't look like any summoner I've ever seen. He uses a sword."

Irked, the former-guardian stoked up to him and grabbed a fist full of his robe. Squall instantly held his wrist to stop his advance, but Tibus was seething with mistrust and irritation. Hotly, he said, "You! You're a summoner? Do you have anything to do with Sin returning to Spira?"

Shocked, Yuna shouted, "Tibus! Don't!"

Squall remained silent and turned his head away. He indifferent showed no sign of anger or rage, but simply ignored Tibus like some pest. Annoyed, Tibus shoved Squall away and stepped back to try and calm down. It wasn't like him to snap, but if Sin really did return to spread death than he wasn't going to let anything get in his way.

Though, unexpectedly Squall spoke and said, "I really wish I could tell you something useful to help the situation, but I don't have any answers. And like I told Yuna I can't remember everything. My past is still a blur. All I can offer is my corporation."

"Then get rid of your aeon!"

At Tibus' words, Yuna and her friends gasped. They all knew that as a former-summoner Yuna was very close to the aeons. Their death had affected her profoundly. She knew them in ways that only a summoner could make.

However, in response Squall said, "No, Greiver is a part of me. He and I are one in the same."

"Yeah, and what exactly is that supposed to mean?"

Squall frowned and said, "It means Greiver stays."

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TBC

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I'm back! I appreciate the reviews and please keep them coming. I love positive feed back. And my story has a fantastic idea for a big finish, but I just can't figure out what should happen in between. I'm also on the fence if this should be a Yuna/Squall shipper or Yuna/Tibus one instead. Jeez, too many decisions.

Please review. Thank you.


	7. Chapter 7

Author's Note: I don't own "Eyes on Me."

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Strange Spirits

Chapter 7

**Location: within Sin**

Inside the belly of the enormous whale-like creature known as Sin resided a being far worse than anything Spira had ever experienced. And with a cunning smile the great evil smirked and stroked the walls of the creature from within like a tame pet.

"Hush, soon my son. Soon we shall take this world and create ourselves a paradise."

Sin began to vibrate under her fingertips and pulsate and quiver. It seemed to sense her aura and respond, but in reaction it made her laugh. Gleefully, the dark-being began to agitate her creature more until it finally opened it's large mouth and let out a booming pained scream.

Giggling, she spun around in amusement and for the first time noticed a man was standing at the door. She tilted her head in curiosity and approached him as he entered. He was dressed in a red robe with one arm exposed and a pair of dark sunglasses rested on his face. She saw he had a long sword, but she wasn't afraid.

"Who are you?" she asked.

"My name is Auron. Who are you? You're not Lady Yunalesca."

The woman smiled and said, "No, I am Jenova."

"Jenova? Who are you? What do you plan on doing with Sin?"

The strange woman with long white hair smirked and replied, "I'm not from around here, swordsman. And Sin will be my beloved tool in conquering the universe. Spira will be my vehicle to the stars. I will use it to reach world after world until all falls to ash at my feet."

"No," stated Auron. "I won't let you. I don't know who you are or how you resurrected Sin, but I can't allow you to endanger this world."

The elder-swordsman then drew his sword and prepared to slice the woman in two, but in a flash a man dressed in black stopped him. He also had long white hair and his sword was long and thin. He was strong. He shoved Auron back with a flick of his wrist and blasted him away with a power he never felt before and grinned at him subtly.

"You've got spunk, old man."

"Uh, so…who are you?"

Yet, instead of the man answering it was Jenova that did the introductions. She gracefully wrapped her arms around the man's waist and giggled into his arm. "Oh, this is Sephiroth. He's my beloved boy."

Auron frown and huffed, "Hm, beloved boy? So, he's your son. I can see the family resemblance."

Sephiroth tenderly removed his mother's hands away from his waist and stepped closer to the elder-swordsman and said, "Thanks, I'll consider that a compliment, but this is the end of line for you, old man. Go back to the Farplane where you belong. This isn't the sort of place for an old hero like you."

Amused, Auron said, "Hero, uh? Well, I can't let my story end just yet if you're going to cause trouble."

Sephiroth hummed intrigued by the elder-swordsman's words, but flicked his wrist with his sword and in the blink of an eye was at the elder-man in a flash. In a barrage of swift strikes, Sephiroth drove him back. Auron hardly had time to defend himself against such fast attacks. He could not deflect the mercilessly maneuver the silver-haired man landed through his chest.

Shocked, Auron used all his strength to grab hold of the long blade as it stuck out from between his ribs, but coldly Sephiroth yanked it out without care and watched as the elder-man stumble back and fall.

However, Auron wasn't dead. He still struggled to rise up onto his feet, but hovering over him stood Jenova with an evil grin. The silver-haired beauty towered over him like a goddess of hell and in her eyes shone a glint of red rare power.

"This world is soft compared to the one I came from. And without SOLDIERS, Shinra, Mako energy or materia there is no hope for you or anyone else. Soon my story will begin and then their will be no more."

"No…" rasped Auron as he struggled to his kneels. "I won't let you…"

Yet, dismissively Jenova turned her back on him and began to ascend her throne. In a heartless tone she said, "Sephiroth, dispose of this trash."

The silver-haired swordsman bowed. "As you wish, mother."

He then turned and knocked Auron out cold and threw his limp body over his shoulder and strode out the door. He took him out beyond the innards of Sin and tossed him out into the clouds and down into the earth below.

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**Location: Luca**

Meanwhile, Rikku and Paine were making last minute preparations for their singing competition. It would be the last night in a while that Rikku would be in town and she wanted to send things off with a blast. She even got Yunie to help her out and make their duo into a trio. It was going to be great.

However, from the sidelines she saw that Squall was being distance again. She really didn't understand him. He was definitely the strong silent type, but he was sent out bad-guy vibes at Tibus nearly all day. It was weird.

She hopped over to him and caught him staring up into the night sky. "Yeah! What are you doing? Stargazing?"

The scared-soldier said, "No, just thinking."

Rikku tilted her head to the side and said, "Thinking? Don't you do that _way_ too much? You ought to loosen up. But, my woman's intuition is telling me that you've got girl problems." Rikku giggled at Squall's confused expression and added, "Oh, don't pretend. You've got a thing for Yunie."

Squall frowned and resisted the urge to roll his eyes and said, "No, I don't. She's just a friend."

Flabbergasted, she exclaimed, "But you saved Yunie and everything! Are you telling me you'd do that kind of thing for just anybody?"

Annoyed, he replied, "Yes, I'm obligated to help anybody in need. I'm trained. I'm a Seed."

Rikku made a face and in exasperation said, "Oh, that doesn't make any sense!"

"Whatever…"

Irked, Rikku grabbed hold of Squall's arm and dragged him towards the stage. He tried to resist, but Rikku wouldn't let him go. She dropped off by Lulu and Wakka and stated, "You! You're going to stay and watch me and Paine and Yunie perform on stage and you're going to like it!"

Squall broke his gaze from her and muttered, "Fine."

In response, Wakka started laughing and said, "Hey, I know you want to watch too. This might be our last big break before we head out hunting for Sin, so just enjoy the show."

"All right," answered Squall. However, even though he had Wakka's encouragement he still felt unwelcome by Tidus. He didn't want to cause any problems and he figured he and Yuna would want to get reacquainted. It wasn't everyday you get reunited with your love.

Though before long the stage was light and the audience began to roar. It was almost like being at a blitz game. Everybody was there and Yuna had on a costume almost as wild as her cousin, Rikku. Tidus saw that his seal was marked on her exposed chest and she was wearing the shortest pair of shorts he'd ever seen. It was definitely different, but as Yuna held the microphone to her lips and started to sing—he realized then that she was actually singing the scared man's song.

Tidus hadn't heard all of it, but it was definitely _his_. It was the song he was humming while standing at the balcony overlooking the sea. Rikku had somehow changed the beat and the tempo, but it was still the same bittersweet tune.

Whenever sang my songs  
On the stage, on my own  
Whenever said my words  
Wishing they would be heard  
I saw you smiling at me  
Was it real or just my fantasy  
You'd always be there in the corner  
Of this tiny little bar

My last night here for you  
Same old songs, just once more  
My last night here with you?  
Maybe yes, maybe no  
I kind of liked it your way  
How you shyly placed your eyes on me

Oh, did you ever know?  
That I had mine on you

Darling, so there you are  
With that look on your face  
As if you're never hurt  
As if you're never down  
Shall I be the one for you  
Who pinches you softly but sure  
If frown is shown then  
I will know that you are no dreamer

So let me come to you  
Close as I wanted to be  
Close enough for me  
To feel your heart beating fast  
And stay there as I whisper

How I loved your peaceful eyes on me  
did you ever know  
That I had mine on you

Darling, so share with me  
Your love if you have enough  
Your tears if your're holding back  
Or pain if that's what it is  
How can I let you know  
I'm more than the dress and the voice  
Just reach me out then  
You will know that you're not dreaming

Darling, so there you are  
With that look on your face  
As if you're never hurt  
As if you're never down  
Shall I be the one for you  
Who pinches you softly but sure  
If frown is shown then  
I will know that you are no dreamer

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TBC

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Ta-da! Evil is finally revealed as Jenova. I think that she was an awesome bad guy that didn't nearly get as much attention as Sephiroth. Also don't worry about Auron, nobody stays dead in Spira. It's like zombies just walk around everywhere. Thanks for noticing the spelling error on Tidus, Projekt-z.

Please reivew. Thank you.


	8. Chapter 8

Strange Spirits

Chapter 8

Tidus could not believe that Yuna would sing Squall's song. He was such a jerk. He couldn't understand it. Tidus didn't know what was so special about that guy anyway. He was moody and dark and myst—oh—well, what did women know anyway? Squall was probably nothing, but trouble and as far as Tidus was concerned the sooner they went on their journey and beat Sin then the sooner they could part ways with the scarred stranger.

Tidus tried to ignore the shouts and the cheers from the audience after Yuna's performance, but it did look like she and Rikku pulled off a hit. Then, without warning Wakka firmly grabbed his back and gave him a shake.

"Hey man, wasn't Yuna great? She and Rikku are going to win this singer competition hands down."

"Hey, it was a good song."

Though, before Wakka could say more, Rikku and her gang of songstresses rushed backstage to their friends and way from the cheers. Rikku was practically beaming when she reached Wakka and the others and gave Tidus a hug.

Squealing, she said, "Oh yea! That was amazing! Did you see that crowd go wild? They love us. We are so going to win."

Paine walked back last off the stage as the next contestants prepared for their act and said, "Yeah, I guess, but your pitch was a little off, Rikku."

Rikku untangled herself off Tidus and stuck out her tongue at her friend. "No way! I was great. You agree, right Yunie?"

The former-summoner replied, "Oh—yes. Great. It was great since it was the last minute."

Rikku laughed and hug her cousin and said, "Nah, it was a piece of cake. We're defiantly going to win this Yunie and then we can use the prize money to buy some gear for the trip. But, where did you say you learned that song from again?"

"Oh, I didn't," said Yuna a little shy.

Yuna felt unsure if she should tell Rikku that it was actually Squall's song. It was such a sweat song. It was a lot more up beat than the hymns she learned as a summoner. And secretly the lyrics of _Eyes of Me_ reminded Yuna of Squall's eye. He had such intense blue eyes that seemed to look right through her.

Yuna caught Squall looking at her from the end of the backstage. She quickly told Rikku and the others that she would be right back and rushed passed the other waiting contestants to see him, but he had already left. Puzzled, she thought she saw the end of his cloak glide across the floor near the exit. She decided to go take a look and walked outside into the night air.

-0-0-0-

"Wait! Squall!"

The swordsman stopped and Yuna could see him bow his head and slowly turned around to face her. She could still hear the competition in the stadium. Soft, muffled music began to play in the background, but Yuna wasn't paying attention to the song. Instead, she was gazing at Squall and noticed that he seemed uncomfortable. He didn't say anything, but stared at her with his cool blue eyes. Behind him Yuna could see the stars twinkling in the night.

"Squall?"

"What is it? Spit it out."

Nervously, she said, "Squall…why did you leave?"

The swordsman sighed and turned to face away from her and looked up at the night sky. His gaze landed on the moon and a strange feeling of ease came over him. It gave him a little comfort in trying to explain to Yuna his feelings, but sometimes it was even hard for Squall to comprehend his own feelings. He felt so out of place lately that he wasn't sure where to begin.

"Didn't you like the song?"

Yuna's question brought him back from his thoughts and he glanced at her and said, "Yeah, it was my song. It was _Eyes on Me_."

She slowly walked up to him stared at his profile in the moonlight. "Are you angry with me for using your song?"

"No."

Yuna was relieved and asked, "Then, you didn't like my singing?"

"No."

Yuna was smiled at Squall's short answers and tilted her head to the side in amusement. She inched in closer and asked, "So, you liked it?"

Squall turned to her and noticed that she was standing right next to him. Squall was taken back at Yuna's new outfit. It didn't leave much to the imagination, but on the other hand it sort of suited her. She seemed less shy and more teasing.

Softly, he replied, "Yes. I like it. It was…different."

Yuna gasped. She saw that Squall was actually smiling. He had the gentlest smile she had ever seen on anyone's face. Yuna felt her heart pounding inside her chest. She felt like she should be looking somewhere else—anywhere else besides his face, but she couldn't bring herself to turn away. She knew she had been granted the rare glimpse into something she knew few had ever seen and it was amazing.

However, Squall was confused. He sensed that Yuna was being awfully quiet. His smile slipped away and morphed into a frown.

"Hey? Are you ok?"

"Hmm?"

Squall sighed deeply. He reached up to the tie on his cloak and began to pull it off. He then slide it off his shoulders and tossed it over Yuna's back and covered her head with the hood. Playfully, he yanked the edge of the hood down and blocked her view.

"Hey! Squall, what are you doing?" Yuna pulled the hood back and stared up at him.

"Aren't you cold?"

It was then that Yuna noticed that he did have a point. It was kind of cold at night and especially in the new costume that Rikku gave her. Pleased, Yuna pulled the dark red cloak closer to her body and breathed in Squall's scent and grinned.

"Yeah, a little. Thanks. You know, you're quite the gentleman, Squall."

"Whatever."

In response, Yuna began to giggle. She was starting to get used to her mysterious stranger. Though, a moment later they grew quiet again and continued to gaze up at the stars. Yet, the pair didn't know that they were being watched. Tidus stood behind them in silence and if he didn't like Squall before, he now disliked him without a doubt.

-0-0-0-

Meanwhile, far away in an unknown location on Spira was Seifer. The blonde-gunblader marched through the deep snow on some mountaintop and spotted something weird. He saw that there was a body lying in the snow. It didn't look like a hiker or anybody he knew, but the poor sap was stretched out and looked dead.

Mentally, Seifer wondered if there was anything useful he could use on the body. He could really use a map or some supplies and it looked like the geezer wasn't going to miss it. He tentatively made his way though the snow and began to search through his pockets, but he practically didn't have anything on him expect a sword.

"Damn. Can't I get a break?"

"Uh…"

"What? This geezer is alive?"

"Uh…"

Seifer frowned. He didn't like wasting time on the weak, but a nagging voice in his head told him that he should try and help the old man. Also, Seifer figured that at the very least the old man could tell him where he was. He was sick of the mountains and needed to find a way out.

"Well, this better be worth it."

The knight then bent down and picked the man up by throwing him over his shoulder like a dead weight. Seifer hoped he was making the right decision and looked around until he spotted a cave. Seifer then began to march towards the cave and heard the geezer moan again.

"Well, old timer. It's lucky for you that I came along to save you. After all, I am a knight."

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TBC

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**Author's Note:** Yeah, I'm back from the dead. I hope you like the new chapter. I don't know if this story has a plot. It's a work in progress. Though, I love twists and happy endings. We'll all just have to wait and see.

Please review. Thank you.


	9. Chapter 9

Strange Spirits

Chapter 9

After the singing competition Yuna and her friends went shopping for supplies for their journey. Yuna was interested in getting a weapon since she wasn't a summoner anymore, but she had a hard time deciding which weapon to pick. She could get daggers like Rikku or a ball like Wakka or maybe even a sword. Then she would be just like Tidus or Squall.

Yuna eyed Tidus' sword. It was transparent and blue like water. It was made from a special material and was finely crafted to suit his skill, but Squall's sword shimmered like light. The gun-blade was more crude and the barrel on the revolver had a certain appeal. Yuna liked the fact that the gun-blade was made for fighting enemies both far and near. Yet the talisman of Griever dangling off the end of the chain on the gun-blade reminded Yuna of power she had lost. She wasn't a summoner anymore. It was about time she chose something else to defend herself with.

Experimentally, she picked up a plain sword from the display rake and nearly toppled over. She knocked over a stake of shields and Tidus and Rikku rushed over to help her. Tidus grabbed her arm and helped her up, while Rikku and Lulu bent down to clear the mess and apologize to the owner.

"Oh, I'm so sorry," said Yuna.

She flushed in embarrassment and Tidus smiled. "It's ok, Yuna. It was an accident."

"Yeah! An accident," stated Rikku to the nervous shop owner.

"Well, if you break it than you buy it!" retorted the owner.

Squall then bent down and picked up the sword that Yuna had dropped onto the ground. He glanced at it up and down and gave it a sharp skilled swing to test it. He narrowed his brow and turned his gaze at towards the former-summoner.

"It's too heavy. You can't handle it."

Yuna felt irked and humiliated. Squall didn't have to say it like that, even if he was right. "Yes, but I still need a weapon. I need something I can handle."

Tidus smiled and said, "You don't need a weapon, Yuna. I can protect you."

"Yes, but I want to fight. I'm not a summoner anymore. I need to be able to defend myself if we're going up against Sin. I don't want to be a burden."

Lulu stepped forward and said, "Well, you could always do magic."

Yuna thought it over and stated, "Yes, but I need something else."

Squall sighed. He crossed his arms over his chest and said, "I understand. Maybe you should try a whip or maybe—"

"Or maybe she doesn't need a weapon," interrupted Tidus in annoyance. He approached Squall and glared at him. He didn't like the idea of Yuna getting in a situation were she could get hurt.

"Hey! No fighting!" yelled Rikku. "We're all friends here. And I agree with Yunie. She needs a weapon. We're going to fight Sin, not going on a picnic."

"Whatever…"

"Whatever."

Yuna looked up and saw that Paine and Squall said the same thing at the same time. She started to laugh and then slowly everyone else began to join in. She had no idea that they were so similar, but now that she thought about it they were both quiet. Though, a moment later Yuna saw what she wanted and picked up a pair of guns. They had a good grip and felt right in her hands.

And with a smile, she turned to the shop owner said, "I'll take these."

-0-0-0-

**Location: Thunder Plains**

It took some traveling, but eventually Yuna and gang managed to leave Luca and hit the open road. Yuna had plenty of time to practice her new weapon on some fiends and she managed to get some pointers on shooting from Squall, but she also noticed that Tidus seemed unhappy. He kept glaring at the scarred-swordsman and always keep him and Yuna in his sights all the time.

It wasn't until they made it to the Thunder Plains that he took her to the side to speak in private. In a soft voice, he said, "Yuna, I don't think you should be so close to that guy."

Yuna tilted her head in confusion. "Guy? You mean Squall? Why?"

"Because I don't trust him. He's keeping secrets. I just know it. It's too suspicious that some summoner still has an aeon. He might be working with Sin."

The former-summoner shook her head. "No, Squall isn't bad. He hasn't done anything wrong. And he isn't keeping secrets. He said he can't remember."

Exasperated, he said, "Yeah, but he could just be lying, Yuna. Please, just be careful when you're around him."

Yuna made a face and replied, "No, Tidus. Squall hasn't done anything. He wants to help us defeat Sin. He wants to help us."

"He doesn't belong here, Yuna."

"And how do you know?"

Tidus made a sound of frustration. He felt like he couldn't get through to Yuna. He didn't understand. Why did she believe Squall and not him? He was obviously a stranger. Tidus knew that even though Squall didn't remember his past, he still didn't belong on Spira because what he could remember didn't make any sense. Yuna told him that Squall was some kind of fighter and that he belonged to something called Seed. Tidus had never heard of anything like that—even when he was living in Zanarkand. Plus, Tidus had never seen a gun-glade before until he saw Squall's.

Though, suddenly Wakka spotted something in the distance in the middle of the Thunder Plains. He pointed it out and said, "Hey, look at that! It's a castle. Where did that come from?"

The group turned to look and casually Lulu stated, "Well, you don't see that everyday."

Eagerly, Rikku said, "Maybe it has something to do with Sin. I just talked to the shopkeeper at the Plain and they said that castle just popped out of nowhere."

"It's worth a look," said Tidus. "Come on."

-0-0-0-

It didn't take long for Yuna and gang to reach the castle in the Thunder Plain, but the stony structure looked scary and creepy in the flashing lightening. It cast strange shadows over the landscape and the front door was damaged and hanged off its hinges. Tentatively, Tidus examined the door, but boldly Squall sighed and shook his head before confidently walking in.

He narrowed his brow at former-blitz player and said, "Stay close and be prepared. If this is the work of Sin then we need to be ready for a fight."

Irked, Tidus said, "Hey, some of us actually faced Sin. You're not the leader, Squall."

The scarred-swordsman paused in the lobby of the wrecked castle. Tidus watched as his cape dragged across the dusty floor. He turned his head and looked at Tidus from across his shoulder. He had a sad look on his face. He seemed really serious and it was oddly unnerving.

Though, surprisingly Squall gave him a half smile and replied, "Then, maybe I'm a lion" before walking up a set of stairs.

Tidus didn't understand. What did being a lion have to do with anything? Of course, Squall wasn't a lion. He was just being mysterious. Though, he train of thought was broken when the other finally came in. Rikku squealed and Paine huffed while Lulu and Wakka lagged behind with Yuna.

The former-summoner was awed by the ruined castle and wondered how it came to be. It hadn't been in the Thunder Plain before when they journeyed to fight Sin, but it was clearly old. Yet, without warning Squall groaned and clutched his head.

"Squall!" shouted the former-summoner.

Yuna rushed to his side and tried to hold him steady. She wrapped her arm round his waist and Wakka came to give them a hand.

"Hey, what's wrong?" asked Wakka.

"I don't know. Squall, what happened?"

The scarred-swordsman pulled away and had a frightful look on his face. He pulled away from Yuna and Wakka and looked somewhere beyond the stairs. Yuna had never seen such grief in Squall's stormy blue eyes.

"I—I remember! No! Rinoa! I have to save Rinoa!"

Squall then made a mad dash up the stairs. Yuna called after him, but he wouldn't stop. She followed him through the dark castle and the lightening outside flashed light briefly though the creepy dark halls.

"Squall! Wait!" she called.

Wakka followed them and the others weren't far behind. The old castle was like a maze. It had many rooms and halls, but Squall seemed to know where he was going. He ran though the corridors like he knew the castle well. He didn't stop until they reached a long spiral staircase that climbed a high tower.

"Squall! Stop!"

However, the swordsman kept going. Squall kept running until he reached the top and then crossed a long bride to another tower at the other end. He was standing in front of a set of doors and slowly placed his hand over the surface of the wood.

"Hey!" cried Rikku. "What's the rush?"

"Rinoa…"

"Rinoa? Who's Rinoa?" asked Tidus. "You have to explain yourself or we're not going to understand."

Solemnly, Squall turned to face his new friends and replied, "I remember Rinoa. I remember that I came here to save her from the longhaired swordsman. He took her here. He wanted her to perform Time-Compression so he could come to Spira."

Wakka narrowed his brow in confusion and asked, "Why?"

Squall turned to face the two closed doors and said, "He saved he wanted to save his mother. He said he wanted to bring her back to life."

The scarred-swordsman then through opened the doors and pulled out his sword. Yuna didn't know what to expect in the inside the chamber, but oddly all she saw was a young woman dressed in blue. Her eyes were half-lidded and she was walking towards them strangely like a puppet on a string.

"S…Squall….?"

"Rinoa…I'm sorry."

"K…Killll…"

Squall looked pained by her speech. He didn't want to hurt her, but he knew that in witch-mode she was unpredictable and erratic. Rinoa long ago told him that if she ever became an evil witch then it would be all right for him to kill her. She said it would be ok as long as it was his sword piercing her heart, but Squall never thought that day would come.

"D…Die….."

Rinoa then raised her hand and cast ultima. The blast from the spell engulfed them whole and Yuna shielded her eyes against the attack. It was such a strong spell. She didn't know if she could withstand the attack. She just hoped they'd make it out alive.

-0-0-0-

TBC

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Yeah, back from the dead again and its a cliffhanger! Read next time and see how Yuna and gang take on witch crazed Rinoa. Will Squall's heart stay true to his Angel? Or will his feelings turn to love for Yuna?

Also thank you for your kind reviews. I'm not really on top of this story, but your positive feed back got me motivated to write this new chapter. I appreciate your support.

Please review. Thank you.


	10. Chapter 10

Strange Spirits

Chapter 10

**Location: mysterious castle, Thunder Plains**

"RINOA!" shouted Squall. "STOP!"

Yet, it was too late. A powerful blast of ultima engulfed the group whole. Their HP points cut down nearly in half. Everyone was groggy from the unexpected attack and Lulu worked quickly to heal their party. However, Squall seemed unfazed. He quietly approached the woman in blue and gazed into her unseeing face.

"Rinoa…I'm sorry. I can't."

"Squall! Look out!" shouted Tidus. The blonde-swordsman then shoved him out of the way as Rinoa cast another ultima spell.

Yuna watched in horror as the bright white flames swallowed up the two men whole. Yuna tried to rush towards them, but Rikku held her back.

"No! Squall! Tidus!"

Though, a second later the flames subsided and revealed that the two were ok. Yuna sighed in relief and heard a shrill laugh coming from the woman in blue. She turned to see Rinoa's eyes begin to flicker a red demonic light and her body started to sway and stagger with each step.

"_Foolish humans. You will all perish under my power." _

Confused, Squall rose up and faced her. He didn't recognize her voice. She didn't sound like Rinoa at all. He asked, "Who are you? What have you done to Rinoa?"

The possessed beauty threw back her head and laughed. She eyes began to glow again as she smirked under her veil of raven hair. She said, _"I am Jenova and the one you call Rinoa is no more." _

Squall narrowed his brow. He couldn't accept that Rinoa was gone. He raised his hand in frustration and said, "No! I don't care who you are. Rinoa isn't gone. She can't be gone!"

"_Hahahah! I already have what I wanted. Soon this world will be mine and I will be reborn."_

"No!" shouted Squall. "I won't let you!"

The scarred-swordsman then lunged forward to attack, but the possessed-sorceress cast another spell. She blasted Squall back with iceage. He staggered back and was about to be struck down again, but this time Yuna, Rikku and Paine intervened. The group of friends banded together and soon Wakka, Lulu and Tidus joined the team.

Together they threw, cast, slashed and shot at the possessed-witch, but all their efforts did was merely slow her down. She was incredibly strong and her evil smile never left her face. Squall knew that he had to save her. He had to free her from Jenova's possessive grip. However, the scarred-swordsmen didn't think he had it in him to slay the woman he loved. He felt guilty for how they had been growing apart since they defeated Ultimecia 2 years ago. Rinoa had been spending more and more time back with the Forest Owls and rebuilding her home while he had been busy taking over major operations at Balamb Garden for Sid. They hadn't seen each other for a long time, but Rinoa still wore his ring. He thought they still had more time together, but Jenova has spoiled everything. Squall was now faced with a decision he hoped he'd never have to make. He had to fight Rinoa in order to save her from herself.

Then, unexpectedly Squall rushed forward with his gun-blade drawn. He was about to slash at her with his sword when suddenly she raised her hand and suspended him in mid air. Squall found himself floating in a strange red light and unable to move.

Tidus inched closer and shouted, "Let him go!" but the possessed sorceress only chuckled at his demand and began to shock Squall with her powers. Yuna watched with terror as his body twitched uncontrollably against the shocks.

Wakka, Rikku and Paine tried to help free Squall from Rinoa's spell, but all their attacks were deflected. They couldn't get close enough to help. Yuna was afraid that she might kill him. She tried shooting at Rinoa with her guns, but the bullets just bounced off an invisible shield.

"No!" cried the former-summoner.

Yuna desperately wished she had the strength to save him, but it was too late. Rinoa was already drawing Squall in. The possessed sorceress smirked wickedly and wrapped her hands around him neck. Rinoa was about to choke him to death and there wasn't anything anybody could do. Yuna could not bear to watch. She turned away. She didn't want to see him get kill that way, but out of nowhere a blur of brown and white leapt forward and latched onto Rinoa's arm.

"_AAAAAAHHH!"_ screamed the witch.

It distracted Rinoa long enough to let Squall free. He dropped to the ground and began to cough. Yuna ran to his side and helped him to his feet. Squall looked up and saw that what saved him was Rinoa's dog, Angelo.

The dog had bitten down hard onto Rinoa's wrist. Squall knew that Angelo wouldn't be able to hold on for long and quickly sprang into action. He pulled away from Yuna and stabbed her with his sword. Rinoa gasped. For a moment the two met each other's eyes and Squall saw the red glow fade from her irises. Slowly, her lids began to close and her body grew limp. He swiftly caught her in his arms and cradled her close as she fell.

Carefully, he placed his hand onto her cheek and held her face. Tears began to fall from his eyes. Rinoa had been freed from Jenova's possession and she gazed up at Squall with her dark brown eyes. She smiled up at him and slowly reached up to brush his hair away from his scarred face.

"Squall? Squall…don't cry…you…you saved me…"

The scarred-swordsman turned away from her touch and closed his eyes in shame. "No. I'm sorry, Rinoa. I wasn't able to protect you like I promised."

Rinoa replied, "No…you set me free. You kept your promise. I…I knew I could depend on you, Squall…always."

Then, a moment later her hand slipped from his cheek and her eyes closed for the last time. Squall felt his heart break in two and watched as Rinoa's body slowly began to disappear into flickering lights and fade away. Squall held onto her as long as he could until there wasn't anything left of her but vapor.

For a long time no words were said and Yuna wasn't sure what to say. She wanted to go to him and give him comfort. She wanted to tell Squall that Rinoa had gone to a better place, but she didn't want to intrude on his grief. Though, a second later Angelo approached the scarred-swordsman and whimpered sadly. He placed his head onto Squall's arm and waited patiently until he patted his head.

Meanwhile, Tidus was uncomfortable with Squall's grief. He touched the back of his head absently and turned away. The former-blitz player said, "Squall, I'm sorry."

However, Squall ignored him and picked up the Griever ring he had give to Rinoa on the floor and held it briefly in the palm of his hand. He closed his stormy blue eyes and rose. He turned to his new friends and in a hollow voice said, "It doesn't matter. Come on, let's go."

-0-0-0-

**Location: Mt. Gagazet**

Seifer was tired. He had practically dragged the old man all away from the ice cave to the village. He knew they couldn't stay in the cave forever and the old geezer looked like he needed medical care. With a grunt he pulled Auron higher and yanked on his harm over his shoulder with his arm around his waist.

"You better not die, old man."

Auron smirked and said, "I wouldn't dream of it, kid."

Seifer was surprised at Auron's smart come back, but didn't say anything else. He liked the geezer's stubborn attitude. It made it more likely that he'd live. He just wondered if the village up head was friendly.

It took several more clumsy steps, but eventually they were close enough to the village to be seen. Seifer saw a group of people heading their way. He was startled to see that they weren't people. Instead, they were a tribe of really big blue fur cats with horns sprouting out from their foreheads. They looked dangerous, but once they saw whom he was dragging around they seemed overwhelmingly concerned.

"It's Auron!" shouted the Ronsos. "Get Kimarhi!"

It wasn't long before the Ronsos surrounded Seifer. The tall blue furry cat people gathered around and helped him pick up Auron and carried him into a house. They seemed like a friendly bunch of fur-balls and Seifer knew Auron was in good hands. The Ronso immediately gave Auron medical care and offered him a warm meal and a place to sleep. Seifer reluctantly accepted their hospitality, but kept his distance.

Later, a smaller Ronso appeared at the door. He had a broken horn on his head and seemed to know the old man. He patted Auron's arm before meeting Seifer's gaze.

"Kimahri, thank you. You saved Kimahri's friend."

Seifer was surprised at the blue cat's manners. He narrowed his brow and said, "Yeah, well don't mention it. I was just passing through."

Though, unexpectedly Auron spoke and with a rough voice, "Hum, you're not just passing through. You're not from around here, are you?"

Irritated, the Knight said, "Why in the world would you say that?"

Auron calmly replied, "Don't deny it. It's true. You're not from Spira. You're from someplace else, am I right?"

Seifer frowned, but admitting stated, "Yeah, so what?"

"Are you working with Sin?"

The Knight was confused. He got up from his seat and turned away from them. "I don't know what Sin is. I'm a Knight. I'm here because I was helping a friend. Tell me, have you seem him? He's a serious guy with brown hair and blue eyes. He has a scar on his face like me."

Auron said, "No, I haven't seem him."

Then, the blue cat replied, "Kimahri also haven't seen him."

Seifer thought it over. He had to find Squall. He had to figure out where he was and get back home. He couldn't waste his time helping old men and talking with cats. He needed useful information so he could get back to his friends.

"Then, I need a map or something. I can't waste my time here when that guy is getting all the glory."

"Kimahri will help," stated the cat-man.

Kimahri then rose. He thought it was the least he could do since Seifer had helped rescue Auron off the mountain. He then headed towards the door when suddenly outside they heard screaming. Shocked, Seifer and Kimahri rushed out and felt a violent earthquake rock the entire village. Ronsos were running in fear. Warriors were gathering their spears. Kimahri and Seifer looked up into the sky and saw that storm clouds had gathered and Sin was looming over head right above them.

"What is that thing?" questioned the Knight.

"Sin," answered Kimahri. "Sin has returned."

However, a second later the monstrous beast began to morph. Sin began to transform. It's body started to glow strange purple and green like and swell out like a cocoon. Then, without warning the cocoon burst open and revealed two enormous black wings. A rain of black feathers descended down from out of the sky and in the center was a huge face of a feminine looking man. Auron struggled out of bed and gaze out from the door and saw that it was the face of the longhaired swordsman. It was the face of Sephiroth.

Then, to Auron's horror the giant face opened it's mouth and began to swallow whole a strange energy from the earth below. Thin strands of green light began to flow up towards the alien skies and grow. Nobody knew what they were witnessing, but it was the very life of Spira beginning absorbed into Jenova like a sponge.

-0-0-0-

TBC

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Author's Note: Sorry for the delay, but real life gets in the way and my muse comes and goes. I realize that last chapter had a terrible cliffhanger, but I hope you don't hate me for Rinoa's death. I'm aiming for a SquallXYuna shipper here and I'm not a big fan of cat fights.

Please read and review. Thank you.


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